Moving sacrificial vehicle hull

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to new and improved armor protection that can replace the existing crew cabin with a field replaceable armored crew compartment to be attached to the existing body of an HMMWV military vehicle to protect the military personnel within from explosive blasts, roll-over or collisions. In accordance with the concepts of the present invention, in order to provide additional protection to personnel in the HMMWV crew compartment, a sacrificial V-shaped hull is designed to be attached onto the underside of the crew compartment over the HMMWV frame rails. In the event of an explosion underneath the HMMWV, the V-shaped hull will shield the personnel inside the cabin and absorb the force of the explosion.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/461,286 filed Aug. 15, 2014, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S.application Ser. No. 14/174,752 filed Feb. 6, 2014, which is a divisionof U.S. application Ser. No. 12/778,951 filed May 10, 2010, which claimspriority to provisional application Ser. No. 61/177,371, filed May 12,2009. U.S. application Ser. No. 14/461,286 filed Aug. 15, 2014 is also acontinuation-in-in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/942,555 filedJul. 15, 2013, which is a division of U.S. application Ser. No.12/778,951 filed May 10, 2010, which claims priority to provisionalapplication Ser. No. 61/177,371, filed May 12, 2009. The abovereferenced applications are incorporated by referenced in their entiretyfor all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to armoring of militaryvehicles. More specifically the present invention relates to armoring ofmilitary personnel transportation vehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The common vehicle currently selected by the military for thetransportation of personnel and for troop patrols is the High MobilityMultipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) commonly referred to as a Humvee.The current method of armoring a HMMWV has generally focused on smallarms fire in combat. The escalation of threats in current active combatsituations has sent the military looking for further protection. Theweak construction of the original body of the HMMWV has made themilitary conduct an extensive search for additional protection. Thus thecontinued addition of heavy armor to an already weak body has made thetask difficult. Once the main cause of mortality shifted from ballisticthreat to blast threat, this method of armoring became even more of athreat to combat troops.

The current method of attaching additional armor to the aluminum body ofthe HMMWV is weak at best. The failure to have positive attachmentsbetween the heavy armor panels stresses the weak aluminum body, whichallows the up-armored HMMWV to fold or collapse in a collision or blast.The addition of such up-armor has increased the weight of the vehiclewhile raising its center of gravity increasing the chance of roll-overand greatly diminishing its mobility and handling. It would be thereforeadvantageous to find a solution for adding additional protective armorto the existing HMMWV design to protect the military personnel insidethe vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to new and improved armor protectionthat can be attached to the existing body of an HMMWV military vehicleto protect the military personnel within. It is therefore a preferredembodiment of the present invention to replace the existing aluminumHMMWV crew compartment with that of a one piece armored crew compartmentthat is mounted in the same position as the original crew compartmentand utilizes the remaining existing body of the HMMWV. This aspect ofthe preferred embodiment allows for easy field replacement of theoriginal cabin while increasing the ability of the crew compartment tosurvive the impact of an explosive blast, collision or roll-over.

In accordance with the concepts of the present invention, in order toprovide additional protection to personnel in the HMMWV crewcompartment, a sacrificial V-shaped hull is designed to be attached ontothe underside of the crew compartment over the existing HMMWV framerails. The existing frame is constructed such that an opening existsunderneath the crew compartment making the crew compartment vulnerableto any explosive impact occurring under the vehicle. It is an aspect ofthe preferred embodiment that the V-shaped hull covers the opening inthe frame to provide additional protection for the occupants inside thecrew compartment. In the event of an explosion underneath the HMMWV, theV-shaped hull will shield the personnel inside the cabin from the impactof the explosion. It is also an aspect of the preferred embodiment ofthe present invention that the V-shaped hull is attached with bolts sothat it can be removed for replacement or maintenance of the HMMWV.Furthermore, attaching the V-shaped hull will maintain much of theoriginal size, shape and function of the HMMWV.

Also in accordance with the concepts of the present invention, theweight of the hull and secondary layer of armor acting as the floor ofthe vehicle will send weight lower resulting in a lower center ofgravity reducing the threat of roll-over. The result of the V-shapedhull will require the crew compartment to be raised on the existingframe to return to the original ground clearance and keeping as much ofa stand off between crew compartment and blast. This has beenaccomplished by lowering the body mounts on the new crew compartment toraise it on its original frame mounts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a 4-door HMMWV with armored crew compartmentand V-shaped hull.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the armored crew compartment mounted onthe existing HMMWV frame and the detached V-shaped hull section.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating the V-shaped hull sectionattached and covering the existing frame.

FIG. 4 is a view of the 2 door crew compartment mounted on the existingframe and detached V-shaped hull section.

FIG. 5 is a view of the 2-door armored crew compartment and V-shapedhull mounted to the existing frame.

FIG. 6 is a view of the 4 door crew compartment mounted on the existingframe and detached V-shaped hull section.

FIG. 7 is a view of the 4 door armored crew compartment and V-shapedhull mounted to the existing frame.

FIG. 8 is a view of a crew compartment and a V-shaped hull in accordancewith another embodiment.

FIG. 9a is a bottom view of the crew compartment of FIG. 8, with theV-shaped hull coupled to the bottom of the compartment.

FIG. 9b is a bottom view of the crew compartment of FIG. 8, with theV-shaped hull absent from the bottom of the compartment.

FIG. 10a is side view of coupling assemblies coupling a V-shaped hullwith a crew compartment.

FIG. 10b is a cross sectional view of a coupling assembly coupling aV-shaped hull with a crew compartment.

FIG. 10c is side view of a V-shaped hull having oval holes positionedwith a crew compartment having circular holes.

FIG. 10d is a side view of a coupling assembly in an operatingconfiguration.

FIG. 10e is a side view of the coupling assembly of FIG. 10d in a shockconfiguration.

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a V-shaped hull in accordance with anembodiment.

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a V-shaped hull in accordance withanother embodiment.

FIG. 13a is a side view of the V-shaped hull of FIG. 12.

FIG. 13b is a front cross-sectional view of the V-shaped hull of FIG.12.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is an overall view of a complete HMMWV 100 with the replacementarmored crew compartment 120 and V shape hull 110 in accordance with oneembodiment 110A. Turning to FIG. 2, a cross-sectional view of the cabin120 is shown. The original HMMWV crew compartment is removed from theexisting HMMWV frame 210. The original cabin is replaced with a onepiece armored crew compartment 120 which is seated onto existing frame210 maintaining as much of the existing vehicle components as possible.Existing frame 210 has an open chassis 220 below the crew compartmentwhich exposes the occupants inside the compartment to ImprovisedExplosive Devices (TED) or other explosive devices that may explodeunderneath the HMMWV. The V-shaped hull 110 covers the open chassis 220to protect the occupants inside the crew compartment 120 from suchexplosive devices.

The armored crew compartment 120 is designed to be a one piecereplacement to the original crew compartment. This allows for easy fieldreplacement of the original compartment. The armored crew compartment120 is constructed of a rigid metal such as a steel alloy. The one piecearmored crew compartment 120 is designed not to collapse in a collision,blast or roll-over. The one piece design and rigid metal construction ofthe armored crew compartment 120 increases the structural integrity ofthe crew compartment improving survivability in the event of a roll-overor collision as well as providing added protection from the impact ofexplosive detonation. The V-shaped hull 110 is also constructed of arigid metal whose composition is such that it will resist the force of atypical IED or other explosive device that detonate beneath the HMMWV100. The typical composition of the rigid metal is a steel alloy.

FIG. 3 illustrates the V-shaped hull 110 in its attached position to thearmored crew compartment 120. V-shaped hull 110 is attached to armoredcrew compartment 120 with bolts 310. Thus, V-shaped hull 110 enclosesthe existing open chassis 220 to protect the crew compartment 120 fromthe impact of explosive detonation that occurs underneath the HMMWV 100.

FIG. 4 illustrates a 2-door aspect of the present invention. Theoriginal crew compartment is removed and the 2-door armored crewcompartment 410 is seated onto the original HMMWV frame 210. Crewcompartment 410 is attached to frame 210 using as much of the originalattachment parts as possible. V-shaped hull 110 is sized to fit theunderside of the HMMWV 2-door armored crew compartment 410. The V-shapedhull 110 is attached to the underside of the HMMWV 2-door armored crewcompartment 410 using bolts 420. The V-shaped hull 110 is bolted onafter the armored crew compartment 410 has been set down over theexisting HMMWV frame rails 210. FIG. 5 is a view of the 2-door armoredcrew compartment 410 with the V-shaped hull 110 attached. Bolting of theV-shaped hull 110 in this manner maintains as much of the original size,shape and function of the HMMWV as possible and will thereby provideunder body protection against explosive devices that may detonate belowthe HMMWV 100.

FIG. 6 illustrates a 4-door aspect of the present invention. Similarly,the original crew compartment is removed and the 4-door armored crewcompartment 510 is seated onto the original HMMWV frame 510. The onepiece armored crew compartment 510 is attached to frame 210 using asmuch of the original attachment parts as possible. V-shaped hull 110 issized to fit the underside of the HMMWV 4-door armored crew compartment510. The V-shaped hull 110 is attached to the underside of the HMMWV4-door armored crew compartment 510 using bolts 420. The V-shaped hull110 is bolted on after the armored crew compartment 510 has been setdown over the existing HMMWV frame rails 210. FIG. 7 is a view of the4-door armored crew compartment 510 with the V-shaped hull 110 attached.As described above, bolting of the V-shaped hull 110 in this mannermaintains as much of the original size, shape and function of the HMMWVas possible and will thereby provide under body protection againstexplosive devices that may detonate below the HMMWV 100.

Referring back to FIG. 1, it is another aspect of the present inventionthat the weight of V-shaped hull 110 will send the overall weight of theHMMWV 100 lower resulting in a lower center of gravity reducing thethreat of roll-over. The placement of the V-shaped hull 110 will requirethe crew compartment to be raised on the existing frame to return to theoriginal ground clearance which will allow an additional stand offbetween crew compartment and the force of an explosive detonation. Thishas been accomplished by lowering the body mounts on the new crewcompartment to raise it on its original frame mounts.

Turning to FIG. 8, another embodiment 110B of a V-shaped hull 110 isdepicted that comprises a first plate 810 and a second plate 815 thatincludes a plurality of oval holes 805A. The first plate 810 is shownhaving a V-shaped contour defined by a first and second V-arm 811A, 811Bthat extend from an apex 812 in a plane substantially parallel to atransverse axis T of the first plate 810. The oval V-arm holes 805defined by the V-arms 811 are configured to couple the vehicle hull 110to the vehicle compartment 120 as shown in FIGS. 9a and 9 b, whichdepict a plurality of compartment coupling holes 905 that correspond tothe plurality of oval holes 805 of the hull 110.

As depicted in FIGS. 10a -e, a coupling assembly 1005 may be configuredto couple the first and second plates 810, 815 to the vehiclecompartment 120. For example, referring to FIG. 10 b, in someembodiments, a coupling assembly may comprise a bolt 420, a nut 1010,and a first and second washer 1015, 1020. As depicted in FIGS. 10d and10 e, the bolt 420 may comprise a head 421 and a shaft 422. The shaft422 of the bolt 420 may extend through holes 805 of the first and secondplate 810, 815 with the nut 1010 coupled on an end of the shaft 422opposite the head 421. In various embodiments, the nut 1010 may betightened a desired amount and welded to one or both of the shaft 422and the compartment 120.

In various embodiments (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12), the firstand second plate 810, 815 may comprise corresponding oval holes 805A,805B that are further corresponding with coupling holes 905 on thevehicle compartment 120. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 10 c, forexample, the plates 810, 815 may be stacked such that respectivecoupling holes 905 are visible through respective pairs of oval holes805A, 805B of the first and second plate 810, 815. A bolt 420 maytherefore be passed through the holes 805 of the plates 810, 815, andthrough a corresponding coupling hole 905.

In various embodiments, and as shown in FIG. 10 d, the plates 810, 815may be coupled to vehicle compartment 120 in an operating configuration,where the bolt 420 resides in a central portion of the oval holes 805.In such an operating configuration, the hull 110 may be rigidly fixed tothe compartment 120 under normal vehicle operating conditions. In otherwords, the hull 110 is coupled with the compartment 120 such that itdoes not move from the operating configuration while the vehicle 100moves, and when exposed to normal road or off-road forces, that thevehicle 100 is exposed to under normal or expected conditions. Invarious embodiments, the expected operating forces may be differentbased on the mission or duty that a given vehicle 100 is assigned to.

However, when exposed to an explosive force such as and IED, or thelike, as discussed above, the hull 110 may be operable to move so as toabsorb and redistribute the force of such an explosion and reduce damageto the vehicle compartment 120 and vehicle occupants. For example, FIG.10e depicts a shock configuration, where the bolt 420 moves downwardwithin the oval holes 805 which is caused by the hull 110 moving upwardin response to an explosive blast. In various embodiments, the bolt 420may be forced to various positions within the oval holes 805 dependingon the holding tension of the coupling assembly 1005 in the operatingconfiguration (FIG. 10d ) and depending of the amount, duration, anddirection of force generated by an explosive blast. In some embodiments,the bolt 420 may be configured to move to a bottom end of the holes 805,or may only shift toward the bottom end of the holes 805 as shown inFIG. 10 e.

The position of an explosive blast relative to the hull 110 may causethe bolt 420 to shift upward within the holes 805 in another shockconfiguration (not shown). For example, an explosion on one side of thehull 110 may generate a force along the transverse axis T that generatesa rotative force that moves bolts 420 on one side of the hull 110 upwardand bolts 420 on the opposite side downward within the holes 805.Accordingly while one example shock configuration is shown in FIG. 10 e,a shock configuration may be different for bolts 420 in holes 805 onrespective sides of the hull 110 and may even be different on the sameside of the hull 110. The shock configuration of FIG. 10e is thereforeonly presented as an example of how the bolt 420 may move in oneexample.

Additionally, the deformation of the hull 110 caused by an explosiveblast may cause permanent or temporary deformation of the hull 110.Accordingly, in some embodiments, the bolts 420 may assume a shockconfiguration (e.g., FIG. 10e ), but may re-assume the operatingconfiguration (e.g., FIG. 10d ) or other new static position after theblast. The hull 110 may therefore be operable to absorb multiple blastsbased on the dynamic movement of the bolts 420 within the oval holes805.

As depicted in the example embodiments herein, the oval holes 805 areshown as being disco-rectangular, oval-rectangular, or a roundedrectangle. The term oval as used herein should not be construed to belimiting and should instead be considered to broadly cover classes ofoval-like shapes that include shapes comprising only a curved profile ora profile comprising both straight and curved portions. For example, asshown in FIGS. 10d and 10 e, the oval holes 805 are elongated along axisQ, with parallel sidewalls and rounded ends.

Although oval holes 805 are shown as an example herein, other shapessuch as rectangles, circles, or the like may be used in someembodiments. Additionally, the holes 805 of the hull may besubstantially uniform or may be different shapes and sizes in someembodiments. For example, in some embodiments, some of the oval holes805 may be longer than some other oval holes 805.

Additionally, various embodiments depicted herein show oval holes 805 onone side of the hull 110 extending along a common axis Q that is in aplane substantially parallel to the transverse axis T, with holes 805 onthe opposing side of the hull 110 at least being aligned in an axishaving a parallel plane. Having all holes 805 on the hull 110 extendalong this common axis Q or along a parallel plane may be desirable insome embodiments because the force generated by an explosive blast underor to the sides of the hull 110 will primarily exert a blast force thatcan be absorbed along this axis Q or parallel plane. The blast maytherefore be absorbed by movement of the hull 110 provided by movementof the bolts 420 within the holes 805.

However, in some embodiments, holes 805 may be aligned along anydesirable axis that may or may not be coincident with a transverse axisT or longitudinal axis L of a hull 110. In further embodiments, holes805 may be a shape that provides for movement in a plurality ofdirections. For example, holes 805 may be circular and provide formovement from a central operating configuration to a shock configurationaway from the central operating configuration.

Turning to FIGS. 11 and 12, some embodiments 110B, 110C of a hull 110include a first plate 810 having a V-shaped contour defined by the firstand second V-arm 811A, 811B that extend from the apex 812 in a planesubstantially parallel to a transverse axis T of the first plate 810.The oval V-arm holes 805B are disposed in rows 1105, with respectiverows 1105A, 1105B disposed on distal ends of the V-arms 811. The firstplate 810 can also include a pair of end-plates 1110 that span betweenrespective ends of the V-arms 811A, 811B.

In various embodiments a support architecture 1115 may be disposedwithin a V-shaped cavity or slot defined by the V-arms 811A, 811B andend-plates 1110A, 1110B of the first plate 110. For example, FIG. 11depicts one embodiment 1115B that comprises a series of ribs 1117 thatspan between the V-arms 811A, 811B in a plane parallel to the transverseaxis T. FIG. 12 depicts another embodiment 1115C that comprises aplurality of ribs 1217 that extend between the V-arms 811A, 811B andbetween the end-plates 1110A, 1110B. The support architecture 1115C canalso comprise a V-shaped reinforcing plate 1218 that resides proximateto the apex 812 and extends up the internal walls of the V-arms 811A,811B as depicted in FIGS. 12 and 13 b. The example embodiments of asupport architecture 1115 disclosed herein should not be construed to belimiting, and any suitable variation of ribs 1217, 1117 reinforcingplates 1218, or the like may be used as desired in accordance with thepresent invention.

FIGS. 11 and 12 further disclose a second plate 815 that comprises a web1120 and a pair of flanges 1125 that extend from opposing edges of theweb 1120 in a plane that is substantially parallel to the transverseaxis T. Each of the flanges 1125 comprises a plurality of oval holes805A that correspond to oval holes 805B present on the first plate 810.The web 1120 can also define a plurality of rib-holes 1130 that mayprovide for coupling of the second plate 115 to the first plate 810 viaribs 1217, 1117. For example, in various embodiments, the rib-holes 1130extend through the web 1120 and are arraigned to correspond to theposition of a portion of at least one rib 1217, 1117. A plug weld in therib-holes 1130 may be used to couple the first and second plates 810,815.

Various changes, modifications, variations, as well as other uses andapplications of the subject invention may become apparent to thoseskilled in the art after considering this specification together withthe accompanying drawings and claims. All such changes, modifications,variations, and other uses and applications which do not depart from thespirit and scope of the invention are intended to be covered hereby andlimited only by the following claims.

1. A removable one piece armored crew compartment attachable to anexisting vehicle frame for protecting occupants in the vehicle from theimpact of an explosion beneath the vehicle, comprising: a crewcompartment body and a plurality of crew compartment doors, wherein thecrew compartment is attached using an attachment means, and a removablearmor shield configured to couple with the armored crew compartmentabout an open chassis of the existing vehicle frame and cover the openchassis of the existing vehicle frame, and wherein the armored crewcompartment is constructed of a rigid metal to reduce the localizedimpact of an explosive device, wherein the removable one piece armoredcrew compartment is configured to surround a portion of the open chassisof the existing vehicle frame; and wherein the removable armor shieldcomprises a first plate, having a V-shaped contour defined by a firstand second V-arm extending from an apex in a plane substantiallyparallel to a transverse axis of the first plate, and including aplurality of oval V-arm holes defined by the V-arms configured to couplethe vehicle hull to the vehicle, with the oval V-arm holes extending ina plane substantially parallel to the transverse axis.
 2. The removableone piece armored crew compartment of claim 1, wherein the coupling ofthe vehicle hull with the vehicle is rigidly fixed under normal vehicleoperating conditions and slidably coupled in response to an explosion.3. The removable one piece armored crew compartment of claim 1, whereinthe vehicle hull is coupled with the vehicle via respective couplingassemblies that extend through the oval V-arm holes to rigidly couplethe vehicle hull to the vehicle in an operating configuration, andwherein the coupling assemblies are configured to slidably assume ashock position in response to an explosion.
 4. The removable one piecearmored crew compartment of claim 1, further comprising a second plateconfigured to extend between the first and second V-arm.
 5. Theremovable one piece armored crew compartment of claim 4, wherein thesecond plate is configured to reside within a V-slot defined by thefirst and second V-arm.
 6. The removable one piece armored crewcompartment of claim 4, wherein the second plate comprises a pluralityof second-plate coupling holes defined by the second plate thatcorrespond to at least a portion of the oval V-arm coupling holes. 7.The removable one piece armored crew compartment of claim 6, wherein thesecond-plate coupling holes are oval and substantially correspond to theoval V-arm coupling holes.
 8. The removable one piece armored crewcompartment of claim 4, wherein the first and second plate areconfigured to couple with the vehicle in a stacked configuration, withthe second plate stacked abutting a portion of the vehicle and the firstplate stacked over and abutting the second plate.
 9. The removable onepiece armored crew compartment of claim 8, wherein the second platedefines a plurality of oval second-plate coupling holes that correspondto respective V-arm coupling holes, and wherein a plurality ofrespective coupling assemblies are configured to extend throughcorresponding pairs of second-plate and V-arm coupling holes to couplethe first and second plates with the vehicle.
 10. The removable onepiece armored crew compartment of claim 4 further comprising a pluralityof ribs that extend between the first and second plate within arib-cavity defined by the first and second plate.
 11. The removable onepiece armored crew compartment of claim 10, wherein the second platedefines a plurality of rib-holes, and wherein the plurality of ribs arecoupled with the second plate via the rib-holes.
 12. The removable onepiece armored crew compartment of claim 1, wherein the removable armorshield further comprises a second plate disposed within a concaveportion of the first plate, and wherein the second plate extends from afirst V-arm of the first plate to a second V-arm of the first plate. 13.A removable armor shield configured to couple with an armored crewcompartment about an open chassis of an existing vehicle frame and coverthe open chassis of the existing vehicle frame, the removable armorshield comprising: a first plate having a V-shaped contour defined by afirst and second V-arm extending from an apex in a plane substantiallyparallel to a transverse axis of the first plate, and a plurality ofoval V-arm holes defined by the V-arms configured to couple the vehiclehull to the vehicle, with the oval V-arm holes extending in a planesubstantially parallel to the transverse axis.